Nigel wrote:
>>
Actually, I think that would be in poor taste as well... we have enough potential for flame wars here with vi vs emacs, gnome vs kde, etc without bringing politics (or religion) into it >>

davecs wrote:Ultimately though if the BNP were to win an election in Britain, they would try to expel non-white citizens. There would be no freedom of speech. I know what side I'm on...

Where did you get that idea from? It's not on the website or their manifesto.

Well when they canvassed my street in the last election and my wife argued the toss with them on the doorstep she got called a "nigger lover" by one of them. I don't suppose that is in their manifesto either.

Oh and their leader, Nick Griffin, is currently on trial for inciting racial hatred.

davecs, you complained about someone using a political URL, even though they have refrained from posting anything political. Yet you continue to post political arguments, even when you have been asked to stop.

Maybe it would be best to lock this topic...

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." (Albert Einstein)

That was NOT a political statement, it was a factual, personal, statement as to why I find someone using the bnp web address as their nick offensive. I've had them in my street in a General Election and a Council Election. They've very directly insulted my wife, as outlined in the last post.

Lock it if you like, but as far as I am concerned the BNP (the organisation and its leaders, not necessarily people who are duped into supporting them) are scum. Anyone who talks to my wife like that has lost their entitlement to free speech as far as I am concerned.

davecs wrote:That was NOT a political statement, it was a factual, personal, statement as to why I find someone using the bnp web address as their nick offensive. I've had them in my street in a General Election and a Council Election. They've very directly insulted my wife, as outlined in the last post.

Lock it if you like, but as far as I am concerned the BNP (the organisation and its leaders, not necessarily people who are duped into supporting them) are scum. Anyone who talks to my wife like that has lost their entitlement to free speech as far as I am concerned.

Sorry, one member of the BNP offending your wife is not reason enough to be offended by the entire party! That is like hating all black people because a black kid robs your house!

Please, judge people individually! I don't mean to offend you but your mindset is exactly what starts fascist parties like the BNP in the first place.

Edit: on a side note - Sorry Nelz I couldn't help it, but people who frequent a linux website are the sort of people who ignore rules

That was not an isolated example, it was just a recent example. I've lived in multiracial parts of East London all my life, and I've watched them try to stir up shit. I was raised in Brick Lane, you know. I'm no kid, I'm in my fifties. I'm white and an atheist of Christian origin, but I went to a 30% Jewish school. My dad is an immigrant, BTW. When I was a kid people used to accuse the Maltese (like my dad) of running brothels.

Do you know what the BNP did in my area recently? They spread lies, that Africans were being heavily subsidised by certain councils to buy homes in my area. It was total rubbish of course, but what could have been the outcome? Would they have been happy if black families had their homes attacked as a result? It never happened because we were leafletted by Searchlight, who exposed them.

I live in a nice, quiet street. It never used to be this way, but when a few "non-whites" moved in, "certain" white people moved out. It should come as no surprise to know that when they went, all the antisocial behaviour in the street went with them.

So unless you've been threatened by racist/fascist groups, had mates threatened by them for being Black or Asian, seen people's homes attacked, don't presume to tell me that the BNP are in any way legitimate, or democratic, just because they try to look a bit more respectable these days. The veneer soon slips if you publicly disagree with them.

As for the point about hating all blacks because a black kid robs your house - bad example. If a young black kid is a criminal, other black kids do not choose to also be associated with him. However if someone forms a political party, based on fascism, racial hatred, and its leaders have rap sheets for incitement, arms offences, etc., people who join that organisation voluntarliy DO choose to be associated with them.

Nelz - you make a joke in your tag-line about Ubuntu, and very funny it is too. But we know Ubuntu means Humanity. All the people. All races and creeds. Not on the condition that they live in their country and we live in ours.

Open Source projects work around international co-operation between people of different nationalities, colours, religions, you name it. It's something I believe in, and groups like the BNP believe in something else.